5 Surprising Premenstrual Effects

Discover some unusual changes that can occur the week before your period

For many women, the week or so leading up to their period, known as the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, is marked by bloating, fatigue and mood swings—the telltale signs of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). But there are other things that happen during this phase of your cycle that can have a surprising impact on your well-being. For instance, did you know that your brain reacts to high-calorie foods when you're premenstrual but not low-calorie ones? (That would explain the ice cream cravings!) Learn more about the changes that can occur during the luteal phase of your cycle so you're better equipped to deal with them. As the old saying goes: Knowing is half the battle.

It's no secret that women often indulge in certain foods—especially high-calorie ones—right before their periods, but have you ever wondered why? A study published in the December 2010 issue of the journal Brain Research may have a possible explanation. In it, researchers scanned participants' brains using functional magnetic resonance imaging, a type of MRI used to measure neural activity. When participants were not premenstrual, they exhibited an increase in brain activity when they viewed images of low-calorie and high-calorie foods. However, when they were premenstrual, only the high-calorie foods stimulated the brain. Photo: iStockphoto

Do you find that it's hard to resist the urge to splurge on that shiny new handbag in the days leading up to your period? You're not alone. Research published in the January 2011 issue of the journal Personality and Individual Differences tracked how much participants spent over a seven-day period, while also noting which phase of their menstrual cycle they were in. The study showed that women who were in the luteal phase "were significantly less controlled and more impulsive than women earlier in their cycle" when it came to spending habits. "Women's behavior with money will be affected by the fluctuations in estrogen that can produce impulsive behavior," says Karen Pine, PhD, the study's author, who is also a psychology professor at the University of Hertfordshire and the coauthor of Sheconomics. Photo: Thinkstock

Though you may enjoy a glass of red wine with dinner most nights, your tendency to indulge in more than one could be related to your menstrual cycle. Women in a recent study published in the March 2011 issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence were found to enjoy alcohol more during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle versus the follicular phase (the phase after menstruation but before ovulation). When researchers had participants rate how much they liked alcohol and its effects during both phases of their menstrual cycles, they reported a greater enjoyment when they were premenstrual, despite minimal differences in their physical responses to the alcohol. Photo: Thinkstock

The prevailing stereotype is that premenstrual women suffer from inexplicable weepiness and agitation. However, recent research found that not all women experience the same mood fluctuations throughout their cycle. While women who suffer from PMS often have higher levels of depression and anxiety just before their period and lower levels mid-cycle (about two weeks before their period starts), a study published in the January 2011 issue of Psychoneuroendocrinology found that "13% of the participants experienced elevated anxiety and depression around mid-cycle and their lowest levels of both around their premenstrual days," according to Jeff Kiesner, PhD, study author and a psychology professor at the University of Padova in Italy. Dr. Kiesner hasn't researched how often these mood swings vary from cycle to cycle, but at least we can dispel the belief that all women are "moody" right before their period. Photo: Thinkstock

5. You could experience a worsening of pre-existing physical conditions

As if it weren't bad enough that close to 75% of women have to deal with PMS symptoms such as bloating, headache, fatigue and mood swings, in the week leading up to their period, they could also suffer from flare-ups of pre-existing health conditions. According to Ellen W. Freeman, PhD, research professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania, "physical disorders such as endometriosis may worsen premenstrually." And a study published in the October 2010 Journal of Asthma reports that asthma symptoms can worsen during this time period as well. According to Dr. Freeman, one theory that may explain why PMS occurs is that hormones produced by the ovaries interact with the central nervous system, resulting in the various symptoms. However, researchers are still looking for an explanation as to why other health conditions can become exacerbated during this phase of the menstrual cycle. Photo: Thinkstock